Brooke of ‘Harlem Heights': Life After The Famous Ex…

Before the premiere of BET’s Harlem Heights, I really didn’t know what to think about Brooke Crittendon who was first introduced to mainstream media as “Kanye West’s ex-girlfriend”. Was she a gold digger? Was she the type of woman who was looking for a man with seven digits in the bank account. Was she the type of chick that would call me out for rockin’ some knock off Louboutins when she was wearing the real thing? *smile*.

These are all the questions that ran through my mind before being connected to Brooke, who just happened to be at her day job, working as an Associate Producer for MTV’s “True Life”. While on hold, I listened as she instructed her editors on what cuts she wanted to make to the “I’m Addicted To Porn” segment of the show which was scheduled to air on Sunday Night. After multiple interruptions, she then picked up and instructed “Okay, I’m ready. Ten minutes!”

Ten Minutes was all I needed to find out everything I needed to know about the alluring Baltimore native. She wasn’t half as bad as I thought. In this candid interview, she opened up about everything from her current relationship with Christian, to her past relationship with Kanye West and her thoughts on his current girlfriend Amber Rose.
Brooke, I see that you are still at work! How Has Your Life Changed Since The Show Aired considering that your co-workers actually watch the show?

I think working in Television has taken a lot of the “oh man I’m on tv” away from this experience. Only because, I have never really been star struck like that. But it is very strange because I was working at another facility at MTV which isn’t in Times Square. It’s lowkey and a lot less employees and like a month ago we moved back to 1515 Times Square. I walk in and there is this huge Harlem Heights poster by the elevator bank and I’m like “oh sh*t”. Normally, MTV is very relaxed! You can come in to work dressed down with no make up and now I feel like I have to be decked out. Before I go to lunch it’s like “Is my make up on. Am I good”. I even started coming in through the garage entrance which allows me to go straight up from the garage to my floor. I just have to be very aware that to some people I am a celebrity now and I consider myself as such so it’s just been an adjustment.

You know how you go into these situations and you aren’t sure how they will be edited. Are you completely satisfied with the way you have been portrayed so far?
From the very first day of shooting I’ve always told myself, they can’t edit what you don’t give. So I was always careful to give moments that were very true to myself and that I could live with seeing later. It’s been a relaxing feeling for me to let go of the footage and let it be edited and seen on Tv because I don’t feel as though I did things that weren’t representative of me. That’s not to say what I did was always positive or right but I feel like every personality has 360 degrees and I feel like if you see me do something wrong, it was me doing something wrong. It was true to who I am. I’m not saying all my moments have been my proudest on Television but they have all been true to me. The way they cut the trailers are obviously hot moments and so I just encourage people to watch the full episodes before they begin to make any judgments.

On the last episode, you ended up kissing Christian [who was dating Ashlie] at Ashlie’s job. Now how did that happen?
Honestly, Body is like the only club we have in Harlem. Ashlie doesn’t own Body. She works there but I don’t know her schedule. We don’t kick it like that so I don’t know when she’s working. And if people remember, Christian invited me to Body. It was a whole gang of us there. It was very strange because Christian was the homie. No flirting or nothing like that. I was just coaching him through a break up and that particular night we had SO much liquor and it was really an innocent thing that happened. I honestly did not know she was working until after the fact.

What is your relationship like with him now?

The thing with Christian is…in the past I’ve looked for certain qualities and I’ve found that with having a friend, sometimes you find those qualities and they are right under your nose. Me and Christian are still friends but [the kiss] did unlock some potential feelings that could be there. To get together could be kind of complicated. Like he just broke up with his girlfriend of a number of years six months ago and I’m not about to be the rebound. I’m like, if you still feel this way about me after six months, then maybe but right now we are trying to keep our friendship very simple. We are not trying to complicate it with all that other stuff but some things are inevitable. We’re in limbo. We are just trying to….. It’s complicated.

I recently did a post about women settling for less. Since you’ve been in a relationship with such a high profile person, do you have ridiculously high standards?

I don’t really go into anything with standards because I don’t have a type and a lot of the things that I experienced with that high profile relationship were things that were new to me. I don’t think two years is long enough time to get accustomed to eating a certain way, or dressing a certain way or living a certain way. It was actually a very easy transition for me to come back to New York City in Harlem full time and back to my life as Brook full time. I didn’t really struggle with that. Now, it sucks to not be able to afford all the things that you could imagine but that stuff is ….”Where are you wearing that?”. I don’t have to go to those events anymore anyway so I don’t need to dress like that.

So I think my standards are moreso now about things that matter. Someone who makes me laugh. My standards are just to be with someone who digs me more than I dig them because all my life I’ve been chasing guys. I see something I like and I go after that. Maybe it’s time for me to stop and let somebody dig me. Let somebody put up with the things that I use to put up with. My standards is just to find someone who really likes me.

And that leads me into my next question, What type of woman are you in a relationship?

Honestly, I’m not very submissive and I’m not very girly girl. I’m the guy’s girl. I’m cool. I like to let my man feel like a man but I’m the partner. I don’t mind pulling my weight. I don’t mind equal, although I am not about going dutch just because I feel like you have to draw the line somewhere. This is a relationship because it’s A,B & C. I’m very affectionate. I’ve very needy. I love to spend a lot of my time with my guy. I’m more like a homie lover friend.

What are some of the mistakes that you think you’ve made in relationships?
um…. um…. wow this is bad because it makes it seem like I don’t think anything is my fault. Honestly, I don’t know… Can we come back to that question?

Yes, we can. Your friend Bre, How did you meet her because when I see the two of you on the show it’s like “Meow”. They are catty like “Mean girls”. It’s like when I see you, I say “I can hang with her” but if I met the two of you together, I probably wouldn’t like you.

Well, I used to work with Bridget when we were doing MTV Radio before she decided to go to law school. I met her back in 2004 and we were relatively close to each other and used to chit chat. She would always say “Girl you remind me so much of my cousin, ya’ll have to meet”. So it was like six months later and she had a party and invited Bre. From the moment I met Bre, we clicked. We’ve been rolling hard since the Summer of 2007 so we really haven’t been friends for that that long but I like to refer to Bre as my politically incorrect pitbull. She says all the things that I don’t say. She will read my mind and say it. If you watch the show, it’s really not me spewing anything. I assist it, I put it out there and Bre slam dunks it.

You made a comment on the Global Grind interview about “it’s weird seeing your ex being intimate with someone that looks like you” referring to Keri Hilson, How does it feel seeing him with a girl like Amber Rose?

It really doesn’t feel like anything because if people remember correctly, I’ve had more than enough time to get over that break up. He had a fiance for 18 months and so I’ve totally moved on from that relationship and that relationship ended amicably. People always want to say “Oh he dissed you” and maybe because people think that he broke up with me that maybe I keep an eye on who he’s dating.

I get why he likes her [Amber Rose] and I think she’s very beautiful. Kanye is very into Japanese Fashion, Culture and Anime and when I look at her, she reminds me of one of those gorgeous Anime characters so I get it. I think that it totally makes sense to me why he would be with someone like that because I know him in a way that other people don’t. So, I’m very happy for him and I’m sure that won’t be the last person I see him with but he’s doing his thing. He has a plan and I’m part of it as a friend and that’s where it ends.

It takes a very strong woman to think like that. It’s hard breaking up with someone but I would imagine it would be much harder doing so in the public eye and constantly having to see this person and the person he dates in the media…

The funny thing is, people always say “He broke up with her because she flipped out on myspace”. Kanye was the one who consoled me and built me back up after that whole media frenzy with the myspace thing. Not a lot of people know that because I wasn’t about to explain that to anyone because I just didn’t give a f*ck anymore.

We split and we understand why we split and we’ve helped each other grow since we split so it doesn’t bother me to see him with other people. It actually makes me happy that he is able to share himself, the real Kanye with somebody and I hope that person cares enough about him to not play him out and invite others in because he’s very private

Okay, I know I strayed away from the show for a bit but let’s get back to it. When this season of Harlem Heights is over and it’s all said and done, what would you like people to know about you as a person?

I want people to know that I am a real person. Not in a sense of “Keeping it real” but I don’t want people to feel like they have to fit in any lane. I don’t want people to feel bad about their imperfections, whether it be with weight, whether it be with anger management, whether it be with men. I want people to realize that you can be somebody that’s looked up to and be a real person. A real person has good days. A real person has bad days. A real person makes mistakes. What’s important is the rebound. Can you look at yourself and laugh at yourself and fix it. And there has been moments in life and on Harlem Heights were I had to step back and say “wow, I need to fix that or just laugh at myself and get over it”. I believe when you do that, you free yourself to be whoever you want to be.

And one more question, where do you see yourself in the future?
Right now I am trying to find a balance. I definitely love TV and the creative process but I’ve always had the desire to be in front of the cameras. So I’m very interested in doing some on air stuff but still be able to produce and direct and be in charge creatively of my own projects. (i.e. Ryan Secrest, Tyra Banks, Oprah).

That’s what’s up. Well I know I don’t know you but I’m very proud of you. You and Jason are my favorites on the show.
Yeaaaaaaaaa!!!!

And it was nice talking to you…

Oh and a simple answer to your question earlier. My biggest mistake in relationships is not letting it do what it do? I try to plan it too much and I’ve learned to just live in the moment.

Wow she seems liek a cool girl. I don’t watch the show b/c BET shows are just done HORRIBLY and I don’t have the paitence it takes to sit and watch one, but from your interview with her, she seems cool….

She sounds like a cool chick for the most part. I’m dying laughing at her saying Amber Rose ain’t Kanye’s last girl. That was kind of slick how she put that in there.

I interned at MTV once (not the main building) but sometimes I would have to take trips over there to 1515 and it was bananas. Hell during TRL (is that show still on?) those high school girls would treat my a$$ like a celebrity just because I could get in the building. lol.

I could see how now she would feel like she has to be on point all the time. ‘Tis one of the prices one must pay for celebrity!

I may be in the minority here but I kind of like this Briana chick too. I think what Brooke said in the interview about her being the pitbull seems to ring true from the show. But she also seems like she has a good sense of humor for some reason. I like their confidence.

nb that was a awesome interview n brooke has her shit together…by the way she answered those questions i like her, n the show besides the catty stuff (that comes with life) it shows young black people doin there thing n how can you hate on that

That was a good interview… Great questions Necole and I actually enjoyed reading Brooke’s responses.

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said meeting Bre and Brooke together you wouldn’t like her. I think that’s what rubs me the wrong way it’s not Brooke it’s the pair.. Everyone needs a friend like Bre though..lol.. I have one and sometime I am that friend myself so I balance my “bitch checks”.

Brooke was smart not to give them much to edit it is what it is basically.

I can’t wait to see this coming ep though because some random chick calls Brooke out about some other dude…. hmmmm

Ashlie is boring and acts like she is 50 years old telling Christian she never dates younger men…lol..

I like Christian and Brooke together for now. Jason and Christian have that NY flavor so I can easily see the attraction to them. Pierre is handsome and is a good guy but he was a tad corny, seems like he has a little more learning to do about dating.

Interesting! I never saw it like that. I just figured Brooke was her only friend on the show so you only really see her being loyal in that aspect. The way the show is set up it seems like those two hang tight so you see them having each other’s backs.

I guess I’m looking at the Brooke and Ashlie situation. I really don’t know why they aren’t friends anymore but it seems like Briana is happy that they aren’t. It’s like even if Brooke wanted to try to be friends Ashlie again Briana would be so mad!!

What i don’t understand is that I have read and heard her say on numerous occasions that she does not want to be known as Kanye’s ex. But I would have never known WHO SHE WAS until right b4 Harlem Knights came on and her statement was “I dont want to be known as a certain rappers ex” okay so y do you keep bringing that part up? Thats like me saying on national TV, “I dont want anyoone to know my father is Jay-Z? ….”

Brooke is incredibly pretentious. It’s actually hilarious. A celebrity? A role model? Are you serious? Does Harlem Heights have high ratings? SMH! Why do folks always ask about Kanye? I feel like she’s still using her ex for publicity. If Brooke were a real woman, that wanted to stand on her own “talent” or “merit” then she would instruct all these interviewers not to ask about her celeb ex. SMDH

@Tiara – the show is terrible and yet I still watch it on my computer. SMDH at myself. lol. It irked me at first that she was going around mentioning Kanye.

After I thought about it some more I figured there is probably no quicker way to get her name out there than to mention him (for better or for worse). After all, we are talking about her. Isn’t the saying something like there is no bad press?

The show is ok and it sometimes has some boring moments, but personally I like Brooke and Bre they seem like cool people. And yea Necole Jason is fly I agree with you on him being one of faves but dude is so damn short I can’t get passed it! LOL

@Tiara to be honest i’m glad she’s open to talk about him. I can’t stand when people give you a laundry list of questions or subjects that you can’t ask about. It makes me say “you know what, nevermind. I’m good”.

She was really a sweet girl. Very charming and open-minded and I can see why guys “dig” her.

I did an interview with Jason as well and will post that in the next few days

Thanks for that interview Necole! Gave me a better insight into Brooke and her situation with Kanye! I too had “assumed” she’d be aloof and thought she would come off a little bourges but she actually answered your questions, I feel, with some depth and honesty! Kudos on this great interview and she need Bre, cause clearly, she the PUNK in the friendship and needs for Bre to stick up for her when confrontation arises. I’ve been the bully for my friends before so I totally get “Bre’s protection” but she can come off as an instigator as well! And Pfffft, I agree, Bridgette’s VOICE IRRITATES THE F*CK OUTTA ME 2!!

Not to be negative, but I think we all know that show is gonna be cancelled. Just like College Hill..and what happened to Baldwin Hills..or was Baldwin Heights? BET needs to stick to music and leave this reality trash alone. Seriously. I’m still trying to figure out the purpose of this show..smh

Brooke has always been pretentious. I remember years ago she had an article in some black publication, I can’t remember what it was. Sister2Sister? Vibe? XXL? It was one of those magazines and she had an ENTIRE ARTICLE written about her! LMAO! I was looking @ her, like who in tha hell is she? Then she talks about Kanye and her supposed “haters”, LMAO! It was sooo funny to me, how pretentious she was. Crazy..complete crazy..lol

This interview def made me like Brooke a tad bit more because on the show especially the one where her and Christian kissed I just felt like it was something done to f**k with Ashlie. I don’t like that kind of stuff. I like the way she answered your questions. Bre eh…don’t know about her. It’s natural for people to ask her and for her to talk about Kanye, I mean it is what it is. Just comes with the territory. Overall I like the people on the show because they are all young and doing their thing professionaly

The show is really embarassing to black people and black professionals that actually have some sense and intelligence. This girl is even more immature and catty than the high school kids on baldwin hills. it is quite painful to watch adults act that way.

Wow great interview Necole, she sounds like a really cool, down to earth person. she’s very beautiful too. I will just never understand why such beautiful, intelligent women could be attracted to such a anal retentive ass*le like KanGay.

Brooke is a pretty girl. i watch the show but stay n and out of it. It’s one of those shows that you really have to focus on. If you miss a scene, that shit will throw u off. But let that would have been me giving Jason the lap dance, I would’ve killed it. We would have been heading to the back room…lol, i’m just saying.

Oh, Okay. I still don’t know who she is. Unless you are forced down my throat or I am actually a fan of your talent I really don’t know a lot of these “CELEBRITIES.”
I don’t recall him dating her (I only remember Alexis…is that her name? The designer? and now
Amber) he must not have been photographed LIKE THAT/forced down my throat…I don’t watch H.H. or BET period but again, “oh, okay” on that interview.

@Jo Jo So do U watch the show? Anywhoo…I cant stand neither one of these catty helfas…Brooke reality check called pick up…I hate that reality TV turn folks into false celebrities…I cant stand it!!! Necole, girl, honey, chile we cant take no more Brooke post…we are so over her…NEXT!!!

Hmmm…before I read any blogs that included Brooke’s name. I’ve been saying that for some reason, even though I sense a fakeness/mean vibe from Brooke – that I kinda liked her cause her hair/swag reminds me of Keri “Go Get Em” Hilson. I then come on this site and I read how Necole herself saw similarities of the 2.

The interview didn’t change my view of her, sista girl does what she does!

Necole I loved the interview. Shes always been cool in my book. Does anyone know what happened with the myspace drama? She’s gorgeous and doing her thing as a young black lady and I think it’s truly amazing. She doesn’t have to put every single detail out there about her life especially what happened with Kanye, just because they broke up doesn’t mean they cant be friends. I dont usually sit and just read interviews but I read this whole one, top to bottom tonight and I REALLY enjoyed it.

Brooke and Jason are actually my faves also. I think they both have a realness about them, especially Jason. He seems the most genuine out of all the cast mbrs. Although I don’t agree with some of the things Brooke does, I like her.

I best thing about Brooke is her haircut; albeit too much makeup. I like natural beauty; and she might possess natural beauty up under all that face-paint. Too much makeup can make a woman look like a tranny (not that Brooke looks like a tranny, though). Nevertheless, short haircuts highlight a woman’s facial features. Not all woman can rock this look. I’ve always been into short-styled haircuts since the Anita Baker, Halle Barry-era. So, naturally, I married a woman with a short haircut :o). Furthermore, keep in mind, people, that television reality shows don’t represent true reality. If you are in front of a camera with a director telling you where to stand to get the best shot…if you have a producer and editor selecting which takes to use in the actual program…stagehands setting up proper lighting…etc., etc…this is not true reality. With this being stated, Brooke might be just as nice as she came off in the above interview; yet on the show she might be being coached as to how to act, and/or, what to say in a particular scene(whether she admits it or not), and this might cause her to come off “stink” to some viewers. It’s all done for drama; which leads to ratings. In true reality, if one is being honest, most of our lives are not very interesting enough to be showcased in a “reality” program. Hey, just food for thought.

Yo that’s a cool ass chick. I like how she said she’s not a girly girl, she’s a guy’s guy. A guy’s guy that still stay on point…now thats a baddddd bitch!!(in a good way ladies) I just couldn’t bring her around my guy friends cuz they would be all over her but she would be a keeper in my book. Good read Necole!

Who just got told? ME! I wrote a seven page rant about how much I hate this Brooke girl only for it not to get posted because I didnt fill out my website thing. Hahaha! Maybe its trying to tell me something. Not hating tho I just dont think she’s interesting and a tad bit catty and childish for my taste. She’s not a likeable character. FIN

@Say It Aint So: in kanyes’ song ‘through the wire’, he was referring to his ex-girl Sumeke (from Chicago), although Brooke is a Delta as well…Necole posted a pic of her awhile back….all of those chicks (Alexis included) overlapped w/ each other…

his hoe is faker than a four dollar bill!how quick did everyone 4get when she was on myspace back when she was “dating” kanye talkn bout she was the was the prettiest chick at spellman?clark? one of em…that was the myspace issue she was referring 2. then shortly after kanye dumped her ass! she is pretentious and full of herself! bitch u arent a celebrity! who actually watches hh besides the necolebitchies fam…and thats only cuz she damn near begged us! brooke gets the hoe sit down award!did she really say she has 2 take the elevators that go from the garage straight 2 her floor?bwaahaha girl noone is checkn 4 u like dat!hoe sit down!

this hoe is faker than a four dollar bill!how quick did everyone 4get when she was on myspace talkn bout she was the prettiest chick at spellman?clark? one of em…that was the myspace issue she was referring 2. then shortly after kanye dumped her ass! she is pretentious and full of herself! bitch u arent a celebrity! who actually watches hh besides the necolebitchies fam…and thats only cuz she damn near begged us! brooke gets the hoe sit down award!did she really say she has 2 take the elevators that go from the garage straight 2 her floor?bwaahaha girl noone is checkn 4 u like dat!hoe sit down!

Am I the only one that knows nothing about all this “media storm” coverage of the Myspace drama? I remember NB posting previews of the show months ago, and chicks were still salty at her.
I dunno cool interview, but I still have no desire to watch the show. I tried but after a few minuets it was either play russian roulette to end the pain, or change the channel. I chose the latter.

Yeah I agree w/ the comments regarding Bridget’s voice being annoyin as hell! The interview was cool, but I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that if you met Brooke by herself she’d be cool, but if you met her and her sidekick Brianna together you probably wouldn’t like her. I’m looking forward to the interview w/ Jason, but I think you need to get that Christian interview poppin ’cause, I don’t know what it is but, I find him very attractive, and I’d like to know more about him.

I really don’t like her. She’s very snobby and thinks she’s better than everyone. I’m all for confident sistahs doing their thing but she tends to put her nose up in the air and thinks she’s mightier than thou. That’s where the respect is lost. It would be nice to see her do some volunteer work or some charity work with the community on the show instead of beefing with everyone.

oh Brianna is even worse. All of them have a connection with someone or a love interest except for her..hmm I wonder why. By the way the show’s topics are scattered with no follow up with some of the characters..what happened to the relationship btwn Kelly and Jason. Tonights episode why did Pierre all of a sudden have a girlfriend? Did I miss something between last week and this week’s episode.

I have to admit I was ready to not like Brooke. Mainly because of the arrogant attitude Kanye used to display back then. It made me think that any woman he was with had to be that way as well. As soon as I started watching the show Brooke became my favorite. Any scene without her was boring actually. I like her demeanor and her style. She just seems like a young, confident, ambitious woman. I like her.

[…] window and was struck by the beauty of the view of the back park and the turning of the leaves. Necole Bitchie.com: Brooke of ‘Harlem Heights‘: Life After The. 10 Jan 2009. Harlem Heights will air on BET, starting March 2, on Mondays at 10 PM. Find our more […]

[…] haven’t really heard from Brooke since she starred in BET’s Harlem Heights, and eventually dished her thoughts on Kanye hooking up with Amber Rose, but now she has somehow re-emerged and she has a lot to say […]

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